We recently published an article titled 12 Best Retail Stocks to Buy According to Analysts. On February 20, Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) saw Citi analyst Steven Zaccone raise the firm’s price target to $1,000 from $990 while maintaining a Neutral rating, citing a modest same-store sales and earnings beat in fiscal second-quarter results. Similarly, on February 10, Evercore ISI analyst Greg Melich raised his price target on Costco to $1,050 from $1,025 and reiterated an Outperform rating. ...

We recently published 10 Stocks On Jim Cramer’s Mind & His Thoughts On Enterprise AI.  Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) is one of the stocks on Jim Cramer's mind. Warehouse club Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) is one of Cramer’s favorite stocks. Even though the shares are down by 4% over the past year, the CNBC TV host has remained an ardent believer in the firm. Among the factors that drive his optimism are Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST)’s ability to keep prices low for c ...

Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) is included among the 16 Best Dividend Stocks with Rising Payouts. Evercore ISI Raises Costco (COST) Price Target, Citi Also Lifts Valuation After Q2 Beat Niloo / Shutterstock.com On February 10, Evercore ISI analyst Greg Melich raised his price recommendation on Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) to $1,050 from $1,025. The analyst reiterated an Outperform rating on the shares. More recently, on February 20, Citi analyst Steven Zaccone increased his pr ...

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses potential candidates for stock splits in 2026, highlighting companies with high share prices and strong financial performance that may consider splitting their stocks to enhance accessibility for retail investors [1]. Group 1: Potential Stock Split Candidates - **MercadoLibre (MELI)**: Currently trading at approximately $1,997, it is the highest-priced major growth stock without a split history. The company reported Q3 2025 revenue of $7.41 billion, a 39% year-over-year increase, with total payment volume up 41% to $71.2 billion. Its stock has appreciated 1,910% over the past decade, making it a strong candidate for a split [1]. - **AutoZone (AZO)**: Trading near $3,745, AutoZone has not split its stock in over 30 years. The company generated $6.24 billion in Q4 2025 revenue and repurchased 117,000 shares for $446.7 million. The stock has surged 390% over the past decade, and its high price may eventually lead to a reconsideration of its split policy [1]. - **Costco (COST)**: Currently trading near $988, Costco has not split its stock since 2000. The company reported Q1 FY2026 revenue of $67.31 billion, with comparable sales up 6.4%. The stock has climbed 681% over the past decade, suggesting that management may consider a split as it approaches four-digit territory [1]. - **Meta Platforms (META)**: Trading at around $645, Meta has never split its stock despite a market cap of $1.63 trillion. The company reported Q4 2025 revenue of $59.89 billion, a 23.78% year-over-year increase. With significant share buybacks and strong financial performance, Meta has the flexibility to execute a split [1]. - **Microsoft (MSFT)**: Trading at approximately $398, Microsoft has not split its stock since February 2003. The company reported Q2 FY2026 revenue of $81.27 billion, up 16.72% year-over-year. With a market cap of $2.96 trillion and a stock price increase of 759% over the past decade, Microsoft may consider a split as analyst targets suggest further upside [1]. Group 2: Characteristics of Split Candidates - The five companies mentioned share common characteristics that typically precede stock splits: elevated share prices that create accessibility barriers, strong financial performance supporting continued appreciation, and large market capitalizations providing operational flexibility [1]. - While stock splits do not alter the fundamental value of a company, they can broaden the investor base and improve trading liquidity, which may encourage management teams to consider splits as a means to maintain retail investor participation in their growth stories [1].

Company Performance - Costco's stock has increased nearly 180% over the past five years, driven by strong sales, membership growth, high renewal rates, and new store openings [1] - From fiscal 2020 to fiscal 2025, the number of Costco warehouses grew from 795 to 914, total cardholders increased from 105.5 million to 140.6 million, and the global renewal rate rose from 88% to 90.5% [2] - Despite macroeconomic challenges, including inflation and rising interest rates, Costco continued to attract new members even after raising membership fees for the first time in seven years in late 2024 [3] Recent Developments - In the first quarter of fiscal 2026, adjusted net sales increased by 6.4%, the number of warehouses rose to 923, and cardholders climbed to 145.9 million, but the global renewal rate fell to 89.7% [4] - The company anticipates that renewal rates may decline slightly in the coming quarters due to lower rates among digitally signed members [4] Future Outlook - Analysts project Costco's revenue and EPS to grow at CAGRs of 8% and 11% from fiscal 2025 to fiscal 2028, but these growth rates may not justify its current premium valuation [6] - If Costco's stock trades at a more reasonable 25 times forward earnings by the end of fiscal 2028, it could decline nearly 40% to $617, while maintaining a 49 times forward earnings could push the stock above $1,200 [6] - The company's stock may remain stagnant or decline slightly over the next two years as it works to stabilize renewal rates, with a potential to reach $1,200, but likely not by the end of fiscal 2028 [7]

Group 1 - Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) is recognized as a leading investment opportunity in the natural and organic food sector, with Bernstein maintaining a Buy rating and a price target of $1,155 [1] - Evercore ISI also reaffirmed an Outperform rating for Costco, increasing the price target from $1,025 to $1,050, indicating positive sentiment towards the company's stock performance [3] - Costco operates membership-only warehouse clubs that offer a wide range of products, including natural and organic foods, which positions the company favorably in the retail market [3] Group 2 - The U.S. retail environment is currently characterized by weak consumer sentiment and rebounding food inflation, despite some price deflation in specific categories like eggs, creating a complex landscape for investors [2] - Factors influencing the macroeconomic environment include drug pricing, SNAP benefits, tariff reversals, tax refunds, and potential boosts from events like the World Cup, complicating forecasts for fiscal year 2026 [2] - JPMorgan has lowered its price target for Costco to $1,025 while maintaining an Overweight rating, reflecting a cautious but still positive outlook on the stock [6]

Market Overview - Concerns about an artificial intelligence bubble are impacting the markets, with AI stocks struggling in 2026 after being a major driver of the S&P 500's bull market over the past three years [1] - Investors are reallocating funds towards energy and consumer stocks, moving away from AI investments [1] Renaissance Technologies' Investment Moves - Renaissance Technologies has significantly reduced its exposure to Nvidia, decreasing its shares from 5.63 million to fewer than 900,000 [2] - The hedge fund completely exited its stake in Meta Platforms and cut its holdings in Alphabet from 2.61 million shares to just 296,000 [2] Costco Stock Performance - Renaissance Technologies increased its position in Costco Wholesale from 13,024 shares to 693,000 shares in the fourth quarter [3] - Costco stock has started strong in 2026, rising over 18% due to new location openings and increased engagement on its website and app [3] Company Profile: Costco - Costco operates as a warehouse-style retailer in Washington state, leveraging bulk purchasing to offer lower prices [4] - The company's membership model promotes exclusivity and generates additional revenue through membership fees [4] Comparative Performance - Despite the recent rise, Costco shares are down 5% over the last 12 months, underperforming the S&P 500's 12% gain and significantly trailing Walmart's nearly 30% increase [5] Valuation Concerns - Costco's forward price-to-earnings ratio stands at 50.1, above its five-year average of 44.8, indicating a premium price for investors [7] - The stock offers a quarterly dividend of $1.30, resulting in a yield of only 0.5% given its share price exceeds $1,000 [7]

Group 1: Danaher and Masimo Acquisition - Danaher (DHR) is nearing a $10 billion acquisition of medical technology company Masimo (MASI), which represents a premium to Masimo's nearly $7 billion market capitalization as of last Friday's close [3][4] - The acquisition would be Danaher's largest since its $21.4 billion takeover of Cytiva in 2020 [5] - Masimo's stock has increased by 32% in premarket trading, despite a 27% decline over the past year [3][5] Group 2: Norwegian Cruise Line and Elliott Investment Management - Elliott Investment Management has acquired over a 10% stake in Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) to advocate for operational and strategic changes [5][6] - Norwegian Cruise Line's shares have decreased nearly 4% year-to-date, underperforming competitors like Carnival (CCL) and Royal Caribbean (RCL) [6] Group 3: Costco Lawsuit - Costco (COST) is facing a class action lawsuit alleging salmonella contamination at its Nebraska chicken processing plant [8] - The lawsuit claims that Costco's failure to control salmonella poses a danger to consumers and violates their trust [8] - Costco reported that its $4.99 rotisserie chicken sales exceeded 157 million worldwide in 2025 [9]

3 Billionaires Have One Key Stock As Their Largest Holding. You'll Be Surprised to Know What It Is. - 24/7 Wall St.[S&P 5006,842.90 +0.11%][Dow Jones49,589.00 +0.24%][Nasdaq 10024,685.60 -0.14%][Russell 20002,643.83 -0.13%][FTSE 10010,476.70 +0.22%][Nikkei 22556,815.50 -1.26%][Investing]# 3 Billionaires Have One Key Stock As Their Largest Holding. You'll Be Surprised to Know What It Is.### Quick ReadBuffett bought Costco in 2000 at under $29 per share and sold in 2020 after roughly 900% returns.Membership f ...

Core Viewpoint - Costco is facing a lawsuit regarding alleged salmonella contamination in its rotisserie chicken, with claims that its Nebraska processing plant fails to meet USDA safety standards [1] Group 1: Lawsuit Details - The lawsuit is a proposed class action filed by an animal rights nonprofit, citing that over 9.8% of whole chickens and 15.4% of chicken parts from the Fremont, Nebraska plant tested positive for salmonella [1] - The plaintiff, Lisa Taylor, claims she overpaid for rotisserie chickens due to Costco's failure to disclose the contamination risk and is seeking compensatory and triple damages for affected consumers since January 1, 2019 [1] - This lawsuit follows another class action filed in San Diego, alleging false advertising regarding the absence of preservatives in Costco's rotisserie chicken [1] Group 2: Sales and Market Impact - Costco's rotisserie chicken sales reached over 157 million units worldwide in 2025, indicating its significance as a loss-leader product to attract customers [1] - The price of Costco's Kirkland Signature rotisserie chicken is set at $4.99, which has been a key factor in driving foot traffic to its warehouse stores [1] Group 3: Company Response - Neither Costco nor the Lincoln plant has provided comments regarding the lawsuit as of the latest report [1]